13 replies to this topic

[diareads]

So.... here is my acne log as of May 20, 2011

HISTORY:

I didn't get ANY acne until I was 15. And it was very minor, here and there sort of stuff. I used Proactiv and it went away, but I got lazy and it came back, once again very minor.

In high school it came back on my forehead, much more so but still not too much. I went on Differin and something else and it kinda helped, but not really too much. I was also on birth control pills which I think might have helped. At this time in my life I was eating ANYTHING I wanted, including dairy and fast/processes foods. I was also drinking heavily. My acne was VERY minor.

My second year in college (2009/10), my friends moved away and me and my bf broke up. I went off birth control. All the stress of everything, and my hormones in a mess I broke out horribly!! I was depressed, stressed, hormonally imbalanced and still drank. This is when I started smoking pot, I don't know if that effects it, but I thought it was important to note.

EVER SINCE THEN I have been trying to figure out how to clear my skin. It used to be 75-80% better!! I have been trying EVERYTHING to clear my skin!!

I even went on Retin A mirco and it FUCKED MY SKIN UP!! The cystic acne got so bad on my forehead, it left scarring and I think made my skin much more sensitive :'(

CURRENT ACNE:
Black heads on nose.
Small uninflamed acne on forehead, few whiteheads. Red spots too.
Minor acne on chin.
Flat red acne on cheeks + one med. pimple. Red.
On sides of nose + on nose minor acne. One large inflamed scab.
level 6 scarring on nose/cheeks
level 5 scarring on forehead. (pics of this on my page, tho they are kinda blurry)

85% No more cystic acne

SOOOOO HERE is my CURRENT NEW REGIMEN:

GoW Green Tea/Shea face wash (mixed w/ baking soda) use a soft face brush
ACV Toner
GoW Neem not Dream moisturizer (though I REALLY want to change it) its too greasy)

Sulfur mask 3x a week

DIET:
AVOID DAIRY (have for 6 months already and it HAS helped the cystic acne on forehead)
AVOID FASTFOOD/PROCESSED FOOD (for 6 months, made me feel better mostly)

I am exercising everyday, if not go on hour walk or so.
Trying to think positive.

I'm thinking of researching for an elimination diet to see what happens. I want to try avoiding soy, wheat, eggs, all grains, maybe certain fruits, I need more research to see** If anyone has any suggestions I'm very grateful <3

SUPPLEMENTS: once a day

3,000 fish oil
once a day womens mulitvitamin
300 saint johns wort
1000 D
400 vitex (unsure about this, but it HAS been helping with chin cystic acne. None since this and sulfur mask)

Edited by diareads, 21 May 2011 - 03:12 AM.

[charliepatton]

i wouldnt smoke weed it aggravates acne alot dont do it.

[diareads]

i wouldnt smoke weed it aggravates acne alot dont do it.

How does it aggravate it? I always blow the smoke away and don't let other blow it on my face if you are talking about the smoke.

[diareads]

Okay its been two days. I forgot to take my vitamins yesterday, but I've taken them today. I hope I don't do that often :/

And also about the smoking..I decided that I am going to stop for 2 weeks to a month to see if I see any results on my face.

But the scab on my face is healing, and spots from an eyebrow wax are fading away. My face is healing

[charliepatton]

Okay its been two days. I forgot to take my vitamins yesterday, but I've taken them today. I hope I don't do that often :/

And also about the smoking..I decided that I am going to stop for 2 weeks to a month to see if I see any results on my face.

But the scab on my face is healing, and spots from an eyebrow wax are fading away. My face is healing

i know when i use to smke weed it would and cigs so id break out bad. if u smoke joints then touch at your face that can break u out too. its differnt for everyone but smoking is not healthy for your skin period i wiah i never smoked in my life trust me quit.. take care of your body

[diareads]

Okay so far so good. Haven't smoked since Friday.

Also, I just received my Primrose oil caps and Msm caps today in the mail. Today I'm going to start those, just 1000mg of Msm and 1300 of the Primerose. I also bought Yogi detox tea yesterday and want to have one cup a day of it, along with my other teas (green/chamomile -these are NOT everyday).

My face seems to be overall healing from the clay mask and Mandelic acid I put on... a terrible idea!!!

And I went and bought some Manuka honey blend from the co-op last night. I used it as an overnight spot treatment just to see... and I was a little surprised that it slightly faded the mark from my cheek cyst. It also brought a few little whites to come heads, getting out the bad I see ^^I hope this works. I'm going to apply a full mask tonight when I go to sleep.

I also decided to take out nuts and brown potatoes from my diet for 30 days. I know I keep changing what I'm doing, but hopefully this is my new regimen for 30 days Which means I had to go get hemp milk after my almond milk ran out. Hemp is supposed to be more healthy anyway

AND NO MORE CHEATING!!! I had the crust of my bf's pizza (BELIEVE ME I peeled off all the cheese, it was just bread!!!) on Sat night, and this morning I woke up with a smallish cyst on my forehead which I haven't gotten in awhile--from DIARY. There was cheesy oil shit or whatever I guess soaked in the bread, and I ate it like a dumbass!! SEE?? BREAKOUT DAMMIT.

NO MORE DIARY EVER EVER EVER

[diareads]

I'm trying to post as often as possible so I can have a good log ^^

The manuka honey helped my older spots a little smaller last night, I went to sleep with a full mask. The cyst on my forehead is really depressing me as well a a med sized raised red pimple about two inches across my forehead from it.

Overall my oiliness is worse. I think it might be the cleasner or moisturizer. I should not have went and bought all those GoW products dammit. I swear I've spent hundreds of dollars on my freaken face. I know its "not that bad" as some people out there, but bad enough for some comments from people I know well. Gahh

I've decided I am going to switch back to CeraVe wash and jojoba/some other moisturizer. I'm not sure yet. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I'm wearing another manuka face mask right now. It better kill this cyst, I dont wanna have to go out and buy some tea tree oil

[diareads]

OMG I LOVE MANUKA HONEY. I try to use it a lot, if I can't sleep with it on I try to wear it as a mask for a little bit, its really amazing and is making acne shrink pretty well. Though it's not doing anything for red/brown marks...I'm still trying to find something for this. I never use to get these

ANNND it seems like I'm getting acne on my chin again which is weird because it was clear for like an entire week. They aren't cysts thank god, but are still annoying... And I have a few small red spots on the bottom left of my chin and I never get them there either. So I am throughly confused.

I am still taking vitamins.. and trying to get a good amount of walking done but with finals and what not its a little hard, but I'm doing a two hour bike ride tomor, should be nice ^^

OVERALL,
-acne is shrinking/fading on cheeks
-acne on forehead still the same multiple lil spots everywhere
-cyst on forehead almost gone
-new acne on chin

Tue I am going to get my first ever food allergy/intolerance whatever test. I hope I get some results I really need help with food triggers, because i dont know where my acne comes from still...

9 DAYS SMOKE-FREE

[diareads]

OKAY, so i've changed some things again.

I've stopped all of the GoW products except the sulfur mask because it is very helpful and i still have a large tube of it on hand.

Instead I wash my face with either manuka honey or CeraVe mask wash. I no longer use a toner and I moisturize with either jojoba, or jojoba + a moisturizer (i currently am using up the rest of acne.org's) I am using the manuka mask on my face every night when my bf isn't staying over which is around 3x a wk for application. Otherwise I try to wear it 4x a week for an hr.

I haven't smoked in 13 days and I have to say my acne has calmed down a lot which surprised me. I'm going to wait about 30 days and after that, smoke only once in a while, maybe very other week once or twice. MAYBE.

I still do not consume dairy EVER
It's been about a week or so for no nuts
Today I am starting no soy/no gluten to see what goes on.

I've been inspired a lot by this web site --> http://www.wholelifenutrition.net/id16.html
as well as http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2010/01/eli...n-diet-its.html
and this one girl http://www.youtube.com/user/thelovevitamin

So i am going to try these new diet changes and see what happens after awhile. I've tried no gluten before and failed. BUT HERE I GO MORE DETERMINED!!

face status:

-cyst forming on chin WTF I havent been doing sulfur as often, but I had been clear there for weeks!
-forehead looks the same, but cyst almost normal. forehead still riddled with clogs
-cheeks healing nicely. only one inflamed whitehead that has been there for a month. its much smaller but wont fucking go away.
-minor/chest acne fading A LOT (i bought those hand glove washer things w/no soap body wash--doing wonders!)

[diareads]

Diet is hard, i have already lost like 3lbs, making me weight barely above 100

Something though I must admit that stop smoking made my cheeks so much more clear, its crazy and upsetting but I've accepted that. I only have those very small skin pimples that are tiny and skin colored (perhaps underground or something). I have one little red one on the bridge of my nose, and one red one on my cheek that is very slowly going away--been there for a month.

My chin also has little ones and the cyst is going away fast because I kept dotting it with tree tea oil.

It's my forehead that seems to be the big issue. It is covered with clogged pores and as soon as one cyst is going away another forms. I have one right in the middle of my forehead everytime one heals another comes. Idk why. I NEVER touch dairy anymore. It scares me!! I have changed my diet a whole bunch so hopefully in a few weeks I wont be getting them anymore.

..really hope so, i have enough scars imma need to take care of but I cant with active acne.

CLEAN 17 DAYS

[diareads]

Still going with this. It's always hard to do something with little progress.

So I had quit smoking for a whole month and my cheeks were clearing so well, one side almost completely clear but for some pigmentation and underskin bumps. My nose is much more clear too. It seems to be the forehead and chin which are the issues. I slacked on the vitex and sulfur and now my chin is so broken out worse that ever and I have like three cysts in different sizes, one has been there for like two weeks!! I started back on vitex and sulfur and I am not seeing any changes yet.

I started an elimination diet a week ago and it was so incredibly hard!!! I lost a lot of weight and was feeling sick and nauseous constantly. I don't know why and yesterday I cheated while on a trip to SF. I ate bread, vinegar, and tomatoes. But it was only at one meal and I felt fine afterwards, except with the vinegar. But I am back on the diet again today, adding in lemon. I think the cheat should be okay if I maintain this diet. I'm thinking of slowly adding everything back in and then changing the focus to gluten/dairy/sugar free diet instead.

Elimination diet is very difficult because I barely weigh 100lbs as it is and have pretty bad hypoglycemia.

I am happy that my cheeks are clearing, due to not smoking. I have decided smoking twice a month on special occasions when necessary will do fine.

I just need to work on this hormonal acne and try to figure out what is causing the mess on my forehead, I am looking into Naturopaths currently.

[diareads]

I've stopped the MSM and D for about a week and I've only gotten like one small spot since... I think the MSM was purging way too much or something because its already getting better

[fakeplasticgirl]

Hey there! Good to hear from you. I can feel your frustration, cuz I've had almost no progress. I've started slacking, too, because I've been travelling all Summer and it became a chore to figure out how the hell I was going to be able to survive when all I could have was mostly restaurant/cafe food. I'm still avoiding gluten/sugar/dairy but I guess I'm not eating enough good stuff and yeah, diet is definitely not perfect. Still breaking out. Periods still irregular. As soon as I've stopped travelling, though, I'm seeing a naturopath and going super strict/elimination diet, cuz I'm so friggen fed up with everything. Keep us updated on how you are!

[diareads]

So about a month has passed and things are getting much much better. Stopping MSM and D helped I believe because I am breaking out so much less.

Also, surprisingly something that also helped me not break out as much is changing my regimen. I went on vacation a week ago, and since it seemed too difficult to try to force some honey into one of those airport approved tiny bottles, I said screw it and brought my old CereVe wash and Neutrogena Combo Oil free most. I have to say, my face looked so much better this last week than the past few months.

I mean, manuka honey and aloe vera is supposed to heal your face up. But I think it was causing me to break out too. I'm thinking it was more so the aloe vera but I am still confused as to how...

For now I am going to stick to this regimen, which is still basic and not really full of much harsh chemicals. I am seeing a Naturpath fnally to get food allergy tested.

Very happy